WAC coaches select all-stars

Sunday

ST. JOHNSVILLE, N.Y. — Fonda-Fultonville’s starting five all received all-star honors as the Western Athletic Conference’s coaches recognized the league’s top players from the 2008-09 season.

Following an unbeaten march through the Northern Division, a trip to the WAC Cup championship game and a run to Section II’s Class B semifinals, the Braves received five of the division’s 15 postseason individual honors, including the most valuable player award which went to senior Kevin Hanson, the school’s new career scoring leader. Fonda-Fultonville took three of the seven first-team all-star spots — Brandon Mercado, Josh Nethaway and Tyler Hall — and placed Seth Hidde on the second team.

Joining the Fonda-Fultonville trio as first-team all-stars in the North were seniors Chris Gattman of Fort Plain, Kevin O’Rourke of Saratoga Catholic and Steven Wilday of Galway and junior Jaxson Smith of St. Johnsville.

Smith was St. Johnsville’s top scorer this winter, averaging 16.3 points per game while taking over the ball-handling responsibilities with a shift to point guard during the season. He topped 20 points five times with a high of 29 in a one-point loss at Dolgeville Jan. 30. he also led the Saints with 33 three-pointers.

Gattman was the top scorer at Fort Plain with an average of 13.7 points. He had his top three scoring efforts against Canajoharie, netting 21 points at a holiday tournament in Cobleskill and putting up 19 in both of the teams’ other meetings.

Resch, Section II’s top Class C scholar-athlete for boys’ basketball, was Fort Plain’s No. 2 scorer at 8.9 points per game with a high of 18 in the Hilltoppers’ season finale against Duanesburg.

Canajoharie junior Payton Stahler shared most valuable player honors for the Southern Division with Schenectady Christian senior Kelsey Collins. Stahler led the Cougars in scoring on the way to winning a sectional Class C title. He had a pair of 33-point games and topped 20 seven other times while averaging 19.9 and scoring in double figures in all 24 games. His scoring average ranked second in the league and 10th in the section.

Collins was Schenectady Christian’s second-leading scorer and helped the Falcons share first place in the division with Canajoharie. He scored a game-high 24 points and hit the deciding free throws in Schenectady Christian’s 53-52 win over Fonda-Fultonville in the WAC Cup title game.

Three more Cougars received all-star honors. Senior Zach Weaver and junior Dane O’Neil were first-team selections and junior Anthony Taylor was a second-teamer. O’Neil was the team’s second-leading scorer at 10.3 points per game while Weaver was the No. 3 scorer and leading rebounder.

Other first-team all-stars in the South were Schoharie’s Cam Bullis and Jacob Karker, Schenectady Christian’s Steven Brundage, Duanesburg’s Zak Edwards, and Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s David Sikule. Sikule, the league’s top scorer at 20.8 points per game, capped his senior year by setting a school record with 50 points in his final home game.

Joining Taylor on the second team were Zack Bartlett, Mike Schilde and Doug Ullman of Sharon Springs, Ryan LaBelle of Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Pat Miller of Schoharie, and Kyle Roney of Middleburgh.

NORTHERN DIVISION

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Kevin Hanson, Fonda-Fultonville

FIRST TEAM

Chris Gattman, Fort Plain

Tyler Hall, Fonda-Fultonville

Brandon Mercado, Fonda-Fultonville

Josh Nethaway, Fonda-Fultonville

Kevin O’Rourke, Saratoga Catholic

Jaxson Smith, St. Johnsville

Steven Wilday, Galway

SECOND TEAM

Christian Bills, Northville

Tod Cowper, Galway

Seth Hidde, Fonda-Fultonville

D.J. Hoagboon, Mayfield

Danny O’Rourke, Saratoga Catholic

John Resch, Fort Plain

Jordan Williams, Northville

SOUTHERN DIVISION

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS

Kelsey Collins, Schenectady Christian

Payton Stahler, Canajoharie

FIRST TEAM

Steven Brundage, Schenectady Christian

Cam Bullis, Schoharie

Zak Edwards, Duanesburg

Jacob Karker, Schoharie

Dane O’Neil, Canajoharie

David Sikule, Berne-Knox-Westerlo

Zach Weaver, Canajoharie

SECOND TEAM

Zack Bartlett, Sharon Springs

Ryan LaBelle, Berne-Knox-Westerlo

Pat Miller, Schoharie

Kyle Roney, Middleburgh

Mike Schilde, Sharon Springs

Anthony Taylor, Canajoharie

Doug Ullman, Sharon Springs

Compiled From Evening Times Staff Reports

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